The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-15
CONCgRNlAG TRE BIGOTS.
THE REV. DIR. TALMAGEB DIS.
COURSE, YESTERDAY,
sectariAnism-Its Origin, Its Evils
and Its Cures-What Ii and
What is Not Religion.
ESPECIAL TO TIE AprsAL,I


ext: "Then said they unto him, Say
low shibb ,leth, aud he said slbbo.
eth, for he could not flame TO pro-
nounce II right. Then they took him |
and slew him at the passages Of Jor.
ian."-yudgea, xii, 9.
Do you notice the difference Of pro.
between shibboleth and
A very small and uuim-
portant difference, You say. And yet,
that difference Was the difference be. |
tween life and death for q great many
people. The Lords people, Gilead
and EphrsiIn, got into q great fght,
and Ephraim was worsted, and on
the retreats came to the fords OF the
river Jordan 10 cross. Order was
given that all Ephraimltes coming
there DO slain. But how could II be
found out who we're Ephraimites 7
They were detected by their proBun-
citation. Shibboleth was word that
stood for river The Ephraimites had
q broRue Of their own, and when they
tried TO say shibboleth always left out
the sound OF the "h.p When II was
asked that they ssy shibboleth they
said sibboleth, and we're slain. "rnen
said they unto him, Say now Shiboo'
letb, and he raid Sibboleih, for he
could not frame pronounce It right
Then they took him and slew him at
tho passages Of Jordan" A very
small difference, you say, between
Gilsad and Ephrsirn, and 30! how
much intolerance aoout that small
diisrencei The Lords tribes In our
times-by wbioh l mean the diff.
ferent denominations OF Chris.
tlsns-sometimes magnify very
small difference, and the only
difference between scorer OF depomi.
nations today 10 the difference be.
tween shibb0leth and sibboleth.
The church OF God IL divided into
q great number OF denominatlon
Time would fail me 10 tell OF the Ual-
yinists, and the Arminisns, and the
Sabbatariane, and the Bsxterians, and
the Dunkers, and the shakers, and
the Quskere, and the Metbodiats, and
the Blpiists, and the Episcopsllsnr,
and the Lutherans, and the Oongre.
gationalists, and the Presbyterians,
and the Rpiriluslists and q score OF
other denominations Of relipionists,
some Of them founded by very good
men, some oil them founded by very
ego.islic men, and come Of them
founded by very bad men. But as ]
demand for myself liberty Of con
science, i must give that same liberty
TO every other man, remembering
that he no more differs from me thar
differ from him. advocate the
largest liberty In all religious belle
and form Of worship. In art, In poll
tics, In morals and In religion let there
be no gag law, no moving Of the pro
vious question, no persecution, no In
toierancs.
| You know that the cir and the
water keep pure by constant circuls
ton, snd think there 10 q tendency
In religious discussion TO publication
and moral health. Between the fourth
AMI the sixteenth centuries the churcl
proposed to make people think arigh
by prohibi Ing discussion and b.
strong censorship OF the press, and b!
rack and gibbet and hot lead dowI
the throat tried 10 make people ortho
doI. But Il was discovered that yot
cannot change q mans belief by twist
ing of his head, and that you canno
make q man see things differently b.
putting an awl through bis eyes
There 10 something in q man
conscience which will hurl Of tn
mountain that you threw upon u an,
unsipg,d Of the fire out OF the fam
will make red wings on which tn
martyr will mount 10 glory.
In that time OF which l speak
between tho fourth and sixteenth
centuries, people went from toe hous
OF God into the most sppallin
inlqulty, aud right along by eontt
: craied affairs there were tides 9
, drunkenness and licentiousness sue
, a. the world never heard Of, aud ID
, very sewers Of perdition broke loos
and flooded the church. Alter q Will
the printing press was freed, and
. broke ths thackles OF the huns
4 mlnd. Then there came q lafp
. number Of bad books, but whore ther
was one man hostile 10 tho CnristiG
. religion, there were twenty men read
4 10 advocate IL; 30 have not an
nervousness 10 regard % this BATH
|, going on between truth and error.
The truth will conquer lust {
i certainly a. that God Ia stronger tina
o the devil. Let error run, n you onl
/. let Truth run along with Il. Urged o
. by skeptic's thou's and TRANSFER
u dentalist's spur, let II ruu. God
y angels OF wrath are IN hot pursuit, an
!. quicker than esele's beak clutches OF
n hawks heart, Code vengeance wi
tear Il 10 pieces.
FL Ipropose this morning 10 speak
d you Of sectarianism--iis origln, II
d evils and Q cures. There are tho,
A who would make us think that Oh
monster with horns and heois
J. religion. l shall chsse Il TO its hidir
o place, and drag Il out Of the cayerr
T. 81 darkness, and rip OF Ia hide. b.
1, l want 10 m he q distinetion betves
bigoiry and the lawful fondnees I,
,, peculiar religions beliefs and forms
Al worship. l have no admiration for
Il nottingham.
!. In a word OF such tremendous ylol
sltude and temptation, and with
u ioul that must after q while star
n before q throne OF intuffsrable brigh
10 ness, In day when the iockir
\. oi the mountains and the Aarirg
~ the heavens and the upheaval Of n
W sea shall be- among the least OF the .!
q. elements, 10 give account for eyel
q thought, word, action, preference an
"A dislike-that man 10 mad who has Z
religion, preference. But our ear
~ education, our physical Temperament
10 our mental constitution, will vel
10 much decide our form Of worship.
"A A style OF psAlm5dy that may plea
- me may displeAse you, Some you
~ Ike 10 have q mi lister In gown, ar
10 bands, and surplice, and others pref
a. 10 have q minister Ia plain citz,n
!. apparel. Some are most impress,
" whom q little child 10 presented at n
u altar aud sprinkled OF tho waters Of
I. holy bencdiclion Tin the name Of n
Ia Father, and oil the sop, aud Of Il
/. Holy ahosi;" and others are more In
pressed when the peniteni ,omes